Why Others Cell Phone Conversations Annoy Us

Why Others Cell Phone Conversations Annoy Us

We’ve all been in a confined space with someone who is talking entirely to loud on their cell phone, and if you’re anything like me you get extremely annoyed in these situations. I like to think that I follow a live and let live philosophy, but this is one situation where I’m not the bigger person. Well, according to a new study from Cornell University I’m no the only one and there is a good reason for my inability to ignore these conversations.

Researchers asked subjects to listen to two types of conversations: one where they could hear both people talking and another where they could only hear one side of the conversation. They found that listening to half of a conversation required much more concentration and therefore was more distracting. Listening to the one-sided conversation took more concentration because the brain attempts to figure out what the other person is saying.

Personally I would be happy if cell phone conversations were treated like smoking; not inside especially if people are eating. Next time your phone rings in a crowded room, think of all the brain power you will be draining from the room with you one-sided conversation and maybe let it go to voicemail.